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Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Well, we at Kitchen Solutions Kent would soundly answer "NO! DEFINITELY NOT!". Many of the problems we see, and are asked to rectify, are problems caused by inappropriate or poor quality fitting. So what should you consider when looking to have a kitchen fitted?

Firstly, measure! Measure all aspects of your kitchen; then measure them again, and then measure them again. And when we say measure we mean measure to the millimetre. Kitchen fitting is a precise art and the tolerances are to millimetres not centimetres.

Secondly, consider the quality of your walls and ceiling. What are the wall and ceiling constructed of, are they sound and strong, and are they true and level. If your kitchen walls are not true and level it will be a devil of a job to install a quality kitchen so you may need to consider dry lining. Also, is the ceiling level and is the height uniform across the kitchen?

Thirdly, consider who specifically is going to fit the kitchen and whether they are qualified?

For the gas in the United Kingdom it is a legal requirement for anyone carrying out gas work to be registered on the Gas Safe Register. This will ensure they are fit and competent to carry out the work.

For the electrics, consider that "Part P of the Building Regulations" came into effect on 1st January 2005. Now any electrical work must be carried out by a qualified and certified individual conforming to "Part B".

For plumbing there is no legal certification at the moment but the government are considering such a move. The sooner the better we say! But the plumber will need to be able to produce high quality work in some very tight spaces. There isn't a lot of room behind kitchen cabinets but that's where your plumbing will go.

Finally, the cabinets themselves. Nobilia kitchens units come fully built, no flat pack construction here. But this also means you'll need carpentry skills to cabinet builder quality to treat the units with the respect they deserve. And if your having stone or corian worktops the cabinets must be completely level. There's no play in solid worktops so a few millimetres out of level precludes their fitting.

So anyone can fit a kitchen. Certainly not. This is a precision job needing gas and electrical certification, top notch plumbing skills and cabinet building carpentry talent. Have a long chat with your kitchen supplier or us at Kitchen Solutions Kent. Who fits your kitchen will be crucial to it's overall success.